38 The Business Trip

Hey! I am posting now because I know the earliest I would be able to post next week is Thursday. Besides, you all deserve it.

Thanks for the favorite and follow loserfeh!

Thanks for the reviews: guest (Thank you so much!), JustAnotherFairy (Never.), Currahee506 (Maybe?), Dreamer558750 (It is very sweet. Bucky is slowly turning into a dad.), Sapphire Roz (It was sweet until HYDRA...), person D (I don't understand how you keep guessing this stuff either... And protien bars is a super random/obscure reference to the current secret avengers comic run. Clint eats like 6 protein bars while getting briefed for a mission.), and CausticCottonballs (Ah yes... the feels...)

Hope everyone gets a chuckle out of this.

"Are you sure about this guys? I don't mind canceling the…"

"Very important board meeting you need to be in New York for? Nice try mom. You and dad are needed in New York, you and dad go to New York. Steve and I can take care of Lily, clearly." I roll my eyes and direct Pepper's gaze towards Steve and Lily playing in the living room. Lily was busy laughing at all the funny faces Steve was making at her.

"But I really feel bad about…"

"Me spending time with my sister?"

"Alright, you're right! We'll go." Pepper gave in.

"I know this will be the longest you will have been without Lily, but she will be fine. She loves it here! And besides between Steve and I she will be thoroughly entertained. I promise we'll let her call every day." I promise Pepper.

"You better, I'll miss my baby girl." Tony says as he dropped the little pink backpack on the couch.

"And your other girl too right?" I smile and poke at my dad.

"Why would I miss Pepper? She'll be with me." Tony smiled as he joked.

"Jerk." I playfully glare.

"You're my little girl too. With my other baby girl." Tony patted my nineteen-week-old pregnant stomach.

"Look at that, I'm being upstaged by you already." I shake my head down at my stomach. "Everybody loves you more."

"Welcome to my world." Pepper smiles. "Alright, we better get going. Lily you wanna come give me a hug?" Pepper kneeled down to have the little brunette come crashing into her arms.

"Bye mommy! Love you!" Lily smiled as she gave Pepper a kiss on the cheek.

"Love you too so much. You be good for Alyssa and Steve, okay?" Pepper asked the little girl. Lily nodded an agreement at her mother's request.

"I love you my little munchkin!" Tony said as he lifted Lily into his arms and causing her to laugh.

"Daddy!" Lily smiled at Tony.

"You have tons of fun missy, I will miss you and promise me that you will drive Spangles insane. Do you understand your mission?" Tony went eye to eye with the two year old.

"Yes daddy." Lily smiled.

"Excellent." Tony quickly kissed her on the cheek before setting her back onto the ground. Tony and Pepper then bid farewell to Steve and me before making their exit.

Lily then looked to me expectantly. "You have gummy bears?"

"Sorry sweetie. No gummy bears. I have sour patch kids?" I offer.

"Alyssa, you really want to give her sugar?" Steve looked at me skeptically.

"Four sour patch kids won't hurt her."

"That wasn't four was it?"

"She stole the whole bag then hid in some crawlspace…"

"I can tell." Steve smirked as he watched Lily running ramped around our apartment and I was trying to chase her, Bandit running behind the toddler wasn't helping. "I got this one, you go sit down. There is no way you can chase her."

"I could chase her!" I scoff.

Steve gave me a 'yeah right' look and then let his eyes fall to my stomach. "Not with that you're not."

"Are you calling me fat and slow?" I glare.

"No. I'm calling you pretty and pregnant. Which is the truth. Lily is literally running circles around you with… is that toilet paper?"

"Yeah, kid is throwing it all over the house." I sigh.

"You sit. I got Lily." Steve commanded.

"Good luck Cap. May the odds be in your favor."

About an hour later Lily crashed. Literally. Steve was chasing her then she ran into the couch and was passed out before her head made it to the cushion beside me.

"That was the most comical sugar crash I have ever seen a small human do." I suppress a giggle.

"I don't think I'll need to go for a run tomorrow." Steve shook his head in disbelief. "How does something so tiny do that?"

"One of the worlds many mysteries Rogers." I shake my head at my sister.

Steve picked her up and settled her sleeping form into a comfortable position. Lily was clearly asleep with her little head on his shoulder. I smiled at him.

"Think, not too much longer that," I point to Lily. "Will be this." I point to my stomach.

"That's… kind of terrifying." Steve looked at me wide eyed.

"I'm sure our child will be less sugar obsessed then Lily."

"We're ready for this right?"

"I think so? Why? You having second thoughts or something? It's a little late for that."

"Not in the slightest."

"Then why you ask?"

Steve looked at his feet and I could basically read his mind.

"Are you scared?"

"I don't want to screw up." He almost whispers.

"Neither do I." I mirror his voice.

"How do people do it?"

"I don't know. But we can and will figure it out." I stand up and go on my tiptoes to kiss Steve's nose. "Go put kiddo down for a nap okay."

Steve nodded and started to walk away.

Tony and Pepper were finally in Stark Tower. Pepper setting up some final things for the board meeting on her cell. Tony was staring at his.

"Pep, should I call?" Tony asked.

"Alyssa? Go ahead." Pepper shrugged. "Nothing could have gone wrong since we left."

"Have you met the people we know? Things could wrong in three seconds." Tony reminded his girlfriend.

"But you are not there to be a catalyst. They are fine."

"Clint is there."

"He is only really a hazard to himself." Pepper smiled. "And plus Natasha is there. She keeps him in line."

"I'll call to check in." Tony dials the number on his Stark phone and puts it on speakerphone.

"Hey dad. Miss us already?" Alyssa answers the phone.

"Yes I do. How are you and Lil doing?"

"Excellent. Tornado Lily has already made her appearance and made a mess. Now she is napping and leaving Steve to clean up her mess."

"You aren't helping him?" Pepper asked.

"Well I was. Then I got hungry and I am eating peanut butter." Alyssa answered with a mouthful of the substance in question.

"Out of the jar no less." Steve then chipped in.

Tony laughed. "Is that bugging the old man?"

"I'm also eating it with my finger. Its not helping." Tony could tell Alyssa was smirking as she talked.

"How much is Steve letting you get away with?" Pepper asked curiously and amused.

"Turns out Steve is a pushover when it comes to us Stark girls. Lily and I have been pushing him around since you left." Alyssa was still smirking.

"Meaning in four months I am basically done for." Steve groaned.

"Don't worry Steve, Tony is a pushover with Lily too." Pepper smiled.

"Don't tell him that Pepper!" Tony groaned.

"I find it cute." Pepper shrugged.

"Anyway, we just called to make sure you were doing well." Tony said his goodbyes. Alyssa and Steve did the same.

"See Tony? They are fine." Pepper smiled.

"Surprisingly so. I wonder what state they will be in once we're back." Tony laughed.

Pepper joined in on laughing. "Lily is going to give them a run for their money that's for sure."

When Lily awoke she quickly made her way out of the guest bedroom. She wondered where everyone was automatically.

Then, she saw something… down the hall.

Lily grabbed her stuffed rabbit and went to investigate.

She pitter patted down the hall towards the room next to the one she was staying in.

Lily poked her head in. the walls were a soft yellow and there was all this… stuff. Lily inquired briefly what all of it was. All the furniture was strange. Lily looked down towards her stuffed companion if he could provide any information. Not a peep from Nibbles the rabbit.

Lily frowned. It was her 'I don't understand' pout. Lily then found something she did recognize. Toys.

Except they were all boxed up. And they didn't look very fun.

So Lily moved on from that. She crawled up onto a chair that was in the room. Lily looked and crawled onto the flat surface on one of the pieces on furniture. She then came across a blurry black and white picture of… something. Lily couldn't recognize what it was in the slightest.

Lily then crawled down. With Nibbles in tow, she then ventured towards the dresser. Opening it she saw… very tiny clothes. Too big for a doll. But big enough for Nibbles. Lily then went to see what else was in there. There had to be something more then just Nibbles clothes.

There wasn't. Nibbles clothes were scattered all over the floor.

Now what was that cage like thing for?

"Alyssa did you here that?" Steve inquired to me.

"The tiny footsteps? Yes. Probably Lily waking up. Meaning she'll be downstairs in a moment. And probably hungry." I supplied.

Steve nodded, satisfied with that answer. "You want me to get her snack ready?"

"Go ahead." I shrug. Once Steve got to the kitchen we heard another noise.

We both stopped and looked towards the staircase then to each other.

The decision to go check on Lily was a no brainer.

"She was only asleep for twenty minutes." I note as we walk up the stairs.

We get up the stairs to venture into the baby's future room. It was still being set up.

We make it to the door and see baby clothing everywhere and Lily standing by the crib with her stuffed rabbit somehow in the crib. Lily was trying to reach the rabbit through the bars but she couldn't fit her arm through.

"NIBBLES! He's trapped!" Lily looked at us wide eyed.

Steve turned to give me a look and I just tried to suppress my laughter.

"How did Nibbles get trapped?" I ask trying to have a straight face.

"I frew him up to see if I reach top of this thing. He fell wrong way!" Lily told us animatedly.

"I see." I still try to not laugh.

"Cappy you gotta save Nibbles!" Lily ran to Steve and started pulling on his leg. "Lyssa say you save people lots!"

Steve raised his eyebrows at me amused. "Does she?"

"Its come up… Cap." I smile at him as I walk past him and into the room.

"Alright." Steve smirked at me and then kneels down to Lily's level. "I think I can save Nibbles. Do you have a plan Lily?"

Lily shook her head. "Why a plan? Just bust him out of prison Cappy!"

"We can't do a rescue without one Lil. If we did the bad guys might get us." Steve explained.

"Just kick their butts Cappy!" Lily gave him a patented Stark eye roll.

"Is that a genetic thing?" Steve looked at me directly as he said that. I just shrug, fully amused as I sit on the floor and start to collect clothes off of it.

"Alright, you and me Lil. Lets go save Nibbles." Steve lifted Lily up and they walked to the crib.

"What now?" Lily asked when they got there.

"I am going to lift you into the crib and then you are going to reach for Nibbles and pull him out. Sound like an idea?"

Lily quickly agreed. And the pair 'executed the plan' with the most serious of faces. I just watched and smiled.

"Thanks Cappy. Can I play wif Bandit now?" Lily asked.

"How about we help Alyssa clean up all the clothes?" Steve suggested.

"Dat's no fun." Lily pointed out.

"Lily, you made the mess, you should help clean up." Steve reminded the stubborn toddler.

"…Fine." Lily sighed as she started to pick up some of the clothing.

Steve sat down in front of me and started folding with me.

"Wat all dis for?" Lily asked referring to everything in the room.

"All of this stuff is for a baby." I smile to the little pigtailed brunette.

"Where is it?" Lily asked. "I don't see baby."

Steve chuckled. "She isn't born yet."

"Explain?" Lily looked to us both in confusion.

"The baby is growing in here Lily." I pat my stomach. Lily walks over to me, plops on the floor and looks at me. She then lifts my shirt up and smushes her face to my stomach.

"Dat's a tummy Lyssa. Not a baby." Lily informs me.

Steve continues to smirk.

"The baby is inside there." I explain.

"How'd it get there?" Lily asks clearly confused.

"Um… you wanna take this one Steve?" I plead.

"I think you have this covered sweetie." Steve said as he got up and left the room. He was laughing almost immediately after he exited the doorway.

"Jerk." I mumbled. "Its not important right now Lil."

"Yes it is! How a baby get in your tummy?"

"Um… how do I explain this?" I look up at the ceiling.

"Wif words Lyssa." Lily deadpanned. Yeah, the toddler deadpanned.

"Ah… well…" I try to waste time as I think of something to say. Wait a minute…

"Well… two people that love each other very much talk and decide they want to have a kid."

"Did you do dat?" Lily interrupted.

"Yes… kinda."

"Who you talk wif?" Lily asked. Gosh kids ask a lot of questions.

"With Steve." I nod, hoping that satisfies the inquisitive two year old.

"Go on." Lily nods.

"Okay… and then we…" I try to remember what I planned on saying. "We went to a place that helps give people babies. And we have to both say 'I consent and gladly give' in front of some people and ask for a baby. Then you and the other person hug and then the universe decides to give you a baby or not."

I then here Steve laugh again from outside. Bastard.

Luckily Lily decided that was a good answer. "You gotta ask?"

"Yes. Yes you do."

"How do you know if you got one?" Lily continues to ask.

"See my stomach Lil?" I ask. Lily inspects it more and nods.

"Notice how its bigger then normal?"

Lily nods again.

"That is how I know. My stomach is bigger because the baby is growing inside. My tummy needs to get bigger so there is more room for it."

"Daddy and Clinty told me dat was cause you've been stealing the extra cookies!" Lily looked appalled that Tony and Clint lied to her.

Steve laughed outside some more.

"Of course they did." I sigh and roll my eyes.

"But Lyssa, Clinty said Cappy had to help give you a baby. But you had to ask people and let space decide. Wat he do?" Lily asked oh so innocently.

"I-I don't know why he said such Lily." I blink. Clint is so dead.

"Lyssa?" Lily looked at me again as I finished putting away the last of the clothes.

"Yeah Lil?"

"If the baby is in there," Lily poked at my stomach. "Can it hear us?"

"Maybe. Steve talks to my stomach to talk to the baby all the time." I shrug.

"Can I?" Lily asked sweetly.

"Of course." I shrug with a small smile.

Lily then laid on her stomach and let her nose touch my belly. "Hi Baby. I Lily. You don't know me. I think I like you though. We can be friends. I gonna play now. We talk later." Then Lily lightly kissed my stomach. "Bye-bye baby. Love you." She whispered lightly before running off in search of Bandit.

I watched my little sister leave in shock at what just happened. That was the sweetest thing ever.

"You know… I don't remember any of what you said being involved in how we made our daughter." Steve smirked as he re-entered the room.

"Shut up. I had to make it toddler friendly. It's not like I could tell her what we actually did."

"It was creative, I'll give you that." Steve said as he offered his hands to help me up off the ground.

"Thanks." I laughed.

"That was really sweet. Lily, talking to the baby." Steve smiled.

"Yeah, it was." I nod. "At least she does not hate the baby yet."

"Yet?" Steve laughed.

"Well yeah. When they see each other and our kid tries to play with Lily's toys. Us Starks don't really share." I say as I hug Steve.

"You never have been good at that. You, Tony or Lily." Steve hugs me back.

"Exactly. Starks don't share. What is ours is ours alone." I remind the cute blonde in my possession.

"Why do I feel like when you say that you are implying me?"

"You are mine and no one else's Steve. The only ones I will share you with is down stairs or in my belly."

"Fair trade. Now lets go downstairs before Lily finds more trouble."

"Good idea."

That Sunday Tony and Pepper finally came to collect Lily.

"How'd it go?" Tony asked laughing as he looked at me. Lily and I had experienced and eventful morning.

"We had lots of fun daddy!" Lily nodded happily.

"It looks like it." Pepper smirked. The kitchen was a mess, my hair was a mess, Steve looked like he was hit with a paint bomb, I was in pajamas still but my PJs had strawberry jam all over it and Bandit was covered in hot chocolate mix. Lily was the only clean one.

"Do I want to know what happened?" Tony laughed.

Steve and I both shook our heads in the 'no' but Lily started spewing out basically all that happened over the weekend.

Tony and Pepper listened fully to their little girl explain, her naps, trips to the park, cartoons, finger-painting and playing with Nathan.

And then she said… "Lyssa told me how a baby got in her belly!"

Steve suppressed a laugh as both my parents glared at me.

"Way to sell me out kid." I stare at Lily.

"Lily… out of curiosity, what did Alyssa say exactly?" Pepper asked as a smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth. She knew I clearly came up with something.

"Her and Steve had to hug and ask the universe nicely." Lily said innocently.

Pepper smiled with a giggle threatening to come out. "Very good Lily."

"Hug? You picked hug?" Tony looked at me.

"Lily put me on the spot." I defend my choice of action.

"But… hug?" Tony inquired again.

Then Steve thought now was the time to show a sense of humor. "Think Tony, at least she didn't say cuddle."

I laughed into my hot cocoa.

"SHUT UP CAPSICLE." Tony glared at Steve. "You have clearly been spending too much time with Alyssa. You are acquiring the not funny aspects of her humor."

"I thought that was a good way to answer you." I smirk.

"Pep, can we go so those two can stop corrupting Lily?" Tony pleaded as he got Lily ready to go.

"Wat corrupting mean?" Lily asked.

"Its what older siblings like me do to little siblings like you." I smile.

"I don't get it." Lily shook her head.

"Its okay Lil. Just ignore your sister for now." Tony patted Lily on the head.

"Thank you both for doing this." Pepper smiled at us.

"No problem Pepper. She's a fun kid." Steve smiled.

"Yeah, it was fun for us and she enjoyed herself." I add.

"Well, we shall go. Let you to relax. I guess, clean up, shower and then relax." Pepper noted the state of the house.

"That sounds like the right order." I nod.

"And maybe if you two feel up to it you guys can… cuddle." Pepper laughed as she made her way towards the door.

"Mom! Not cool!" my eyes go wide. I looked to Steve and he was trying to avoid eye contact with everyone.

"Why would you say that Pep?" Tony shook his head at his girlfriend.

"Why you upset daddy? We cuddle and its warm and snuggly." Lily looked up at her dad innocently.

"Lily keep that mindset forever. You will never be allowed to do what your mother is suggesting." Tony mumbled the last sentence.

"This is getting awkward." Steve sighed to the ceiling.

"Just now?"

Next Chapter: flashback to how the team all got Stark Phones.